Deep Web Browsers: Top 10 Browsers to Access The Deep Web

Deep Web Browsers are browsers which let you access the Deep web. The Deep Web, as the name suggests is the “deeper” part of the Internet.

Something that you can’t access with your Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or any other day-to-day browsers and that’s exactly where the Deep Web Browser comes to your rescue.

So here we list the top 10 Deep Web Browsers, their features and why they are the best weapons in your arsenal when you’re about to access the Deep web.

Why do you Need Deep Web Browsers?

They let you access the Deep Web, that’s the surface-level answer, but what makes them special, why can’t you use the general browsers to do the same? That’s what this section is about.

a). Accessing the Hidden Links

The Deep Web isn’t hosted on the “World Wide Web” (WWW), so you can’t access it with the general browsers because they don’t recognize the .onion or can’t grant you access the opposites.

Neither are these links made available on the search engines for you to just click on them and land over there.

While the Deep Web Browsers are crafted specifically to facilitate the access of those onion links, and at the same time also generally let you browse the clearnet.

b). Privacy

The Deep Web is generally paired up with content that’s “illicit” if not illegal at best, even though it’s not always true, I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t want others peeking over your search history, or Identity on the Deep Web, would you?

It’s not just about search history, cookies or activities from your end, even others (including websites and independently interested “third-parties”) trace and track your location, activities and other data.

No information is sent from the deep web browsers to the websites you browse, which isn’t the case with the general browsers we use.

Top 10 Deep Web Browsers

Here are the Top 10 Deep Web Browsers you can employ to your service right now and start surfing the waves towards the Deeper part of the web.

We’ve explained what makes these browsers “the best”, and also note that this isn’t a “ranking chart”, so the #1 browser doesn’t mean it’s the “best”, while the #10 doesn’t indicate it being the “last option” either.

1). TOR (The Onion Router)

Even though it’s not a “ranking chart” as I said earlier, TOR is literally “the best deep web browser” you’ll ever cross paths with.

TOR is an Open-Source project that was broken out of its eggshell to protect “Internet freedom” (which is somewhat of rarity these days!)

TOR keeps our identity private by using a “network or relays” which is run by volunteers all across the globe. They bounce our internet traffic off via various nodes which if translated to plain English, means your identity is safe with TOR.

2). Whonix

Whonix is an advanced deep web browser which is armed to the teeth to protect you against common web-attacks or privacy threats.

It uses the TOR network to provide us with online anonymity, and a deeper layer or protection is its heavily encrypted and modified debian base which is run inside a number of virtual machines; acting as our guardian angle against malware and IP address leaks!

Whonix takes pride in being an isolated solution for the deep web, at the same time being able to be run inside a Virtual machine and with mandated TOR routing.

3). SubGraph OS

SubGraph OS is an open-source and one of the most secure browsers you can use to browse the deep web.

It’s packed with GrSecurity for starters, put it simply all I can say is it’s “the best” Linux kernel security enhancement known to man!

One of its superpowers is its ability to create “Sandboxes” around programs commonly prone to online attacks and security leaks.

Meaning, it “contains” those applications (Email, PDF Files, Messaging apps) within themselves, so even if there is a leak or security breach, it doesn’t effect the whole system and remains limited to the app.

Not to mention that all outgoing traffic is routed via the TOR network. It’s an extensive program but I’m pretty sure the above features can paint a picture for you as far Subgraph’s capabilities are concerned, isn’t that right?

4). Disconnect

Disconnect is on this list specifically because of its “anti-monitoring” policies. The primary marketing hand it plays is its “Disconnect” abilities.

It not only automatically prevents you from visiting sites which are known to collect information and are malicious, but also stop them from collecting your information if you do happen to land on them.

It also boasts an in-built VPN which makes it all the more secure and allows you to mask your location while you browse the deep web.

To top it all up, it’s programmed in a way which also boosts your browsing speed (the deep web is ill-famous for its slow loading websites), saves your battery life if you’re on a mobile device and a number of other extra benefits, so bottom-line, it’s worth a try.

Disconnect offers us three plans, among which there’s a “free” plan as well so you can try it out without shelling anything out from your pockets.

5). Tails

It’s on top of my personal favourite deep web browsers list after TOR, maybe it has something to do with the fact that it’s a project from the TOR team itself.

Apart from it being a TOR project, what makes Tails special is its unique ability of being a “standalone Operating system”!

What I mean by that phrase is, you can install and run Tails on any system in minutes directly from a USD stick, CD-Drive or any other media.

Once the OS is run, you can browse the deep web seamlessly, and all the traffic is forced to be routed through the TOR network.

Also, there’s no trace of your activities whatsoever on the system Tails is run. Other advanced features include the ability to sign documents using the de-facto OpenPGP, and it also is capable of protecting our instant-messages by the use of OTR tool for added authentication and deniability.

6). EPIC

EPIC really does live up to its name. It disables any and all “tracking scripts” that websites might have positioned in order to track your activities, choices and interests.

Disabling the tracking scripts results in a faster loading of the websites, which is a big win specially on the deep web sites.

Every outgoing connection is encrypted in a “Separate process” even if the browser is the same, which adds to the additional security provided by EPIC.

EPIC also makes it impossible for your IP address to be leaked out in the world with simple flaws like the webrtc function per say, instead it makes you the “spy” by showing you who or which websites are tracking you.

And finally, it’s embedded with a built-in proxy which hides your location, masks your IP address, and grants you access to even the hardest to find hidden websites.

And it’s worth a mention that EPIC reportedly refused to compile to Google’s ultimatum and share user-data even when it meant a majority of their traffic and revenue being cut-off.

It also helps users discover hidden websites which aren’t generally available on the web to be found.

Apart from all that, we might sometimes need Email IDs to register on Deep web markets or other Deep web platforms, well in that case Ipredia also features an anonymous Email client for you which you can use without risking your personal Email ID.

Not to mention an anonymous chat system being provided as well.

8. FreeNet Project

The next contestant up this race for the best deep web browser is FreeNet project. And honestly, it has some of the best encryption and protection levels compared to a number of its rivals in this list.

Secret Identities, the “secret sauce” of Freenet! Yeah, it let’s you create a completely fake, secret identity which you can use while doing anything and everything on FreeNet.

FreeNet isn’t a “connected” environment, instead of an isolated one. Meaning it doesn’t let you connect to Google or Facebook, instead it has its own social networks, chat-rooms, blogs, so in a nutshell it’s the “whole of the internet within itself”.

Friend-to-Friend node is another one of FreeNet’s innovations, it’s a connection protocol which let’s you connect only to those nodes run by your friends or people you trust. That provides you with a lot more security and autonomy.

10). I2P

The final solution I can lay out for you as a deep web browser is I2P. They market themselves as “A network inside a network”, so again a “contained network” in other words.

It protects us from data-leaks, activities being tracked online, identity being publicized and so on. So basically it protects our digital lives.

Apart from that, just like FreeNet, I2P also offers contained, isolated platforms for Emails, Blogging, Chat, File-sharing etc. And all this is anonymous, as well as decentralized.

All the messages are sent via “tunnels” and routed via the I2P router which keeps it anonymous as well as safe from being intercepted by unwanted third-parties.

Lastly, you can access the eepsites (anonymous sites not available on the clearnet) with I2P as well.

11). Use VPN

This isn’t a “browser” but I’m still adding it here because VPNs are the extra layer or security and anonymity which fill in the gaps left by the browsers.

No browser, not even TOR is completely anonymous, and they’re honest about it, they’re just a “more secure, and privacy-respecting” browsers compared to the other general browsers.

But a VPN is a third-party software which masks your IP address, and offers you a plethora of “virtual locations” to choose from in a single click! Masking your IP address makes sure even if there is an IP-address or DNS leak, your identity remains cloaked and safe.

Final Words:

So those were the 10 best deep web browsers existing in the industry today. We compared these based on their features, anonymity, privacy level and so on.

Starting from TOR right to the very last option, feel free to go with any one of them and make sure you’ve employed a VPN just in case, as long as you’ve done so, you’ve got the green light to be a deep web tourist!

Do let me know your feedback and experience on this piece, it matters, it does.